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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055038">Eros et Agape</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paindepice/pseuds/Paindepice'>Paindepice</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>K-pop, SEVENTEEN (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(It’s SK in another universe just wanted to make sure you guys are aware of this before reading), Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Boo Seungkwan is Whipped, Convenience deal: Two Vernons for the price of one, Double Penetration, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Polyamorous Character, Spitroasting, Threesome - M/M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 16:31:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,439</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055038</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paindepice/pseuds/Paindepice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Seungkwan is an engineer for Seoul’s best superhero team.<br/>He ends up with another Vernon from another timeline, and while it is a geniune mistake, it makes him wonder why the Hansol in his timeline looks annoyed every time Vernon flirts with Seungkwan.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Boo Seungkwan/Chwe Hansol | Vernon, Chwe Hansol | Vernon/Boo Seungkwan/Chwe Hansol | Vernon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>89</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Eros et Agape</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Soooo yeah...<br/>This beast has been written for the length of a whole month......<br/>Also thanks Ari for betaing this... You surely made this less difficult for me to revise this! ❤️</p><p>Quick note, just to make sure no one gets confused:<br/>Hansol: black hair, 24 years old, it’s the one original to Seungkwan’s universe.<br/>Vernon: silver hair, 19 years old, it’s the one Seungkwan’s mistakenly takes away from another universe.<br/>Hopefully this won’t get confusing tho... I tried my best to make it as comprehensive as possible!<br/>Enjoy! ❤️</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ok, so here’s the thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan is just an engineer; sure, he also saves the world from time to time and he is like the richest man alive only second to Kim Mingyu, but he is just an engineer at the end of the day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>People know his name, his public one, his face, his past, his family.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He helps in more ways than one  because he wants to. But he is just an engineer at the end of the day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Introducing his childhood friend, publicly known ex-soldier, ex-rich boy, ex-consultant, ex-everything, Hansol Chwe. Superhero by day, beanie enthusiast by night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man has been aloof ever since Seungkwan has memory of it, mostly because he has always been worried about keeping his identity a secret. Who can blame him, Seungkwan surely cannot. Not anymore at least.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He just misses the times where they didn’t have to worry about stuff like that because, to the public eye, they were nobodies. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan misses the times they hid away in the private school corridors and played around, them sitting so close to each other during gym practice, them not distinguishing the difference between their laps and a chair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After so many years you could say Seungkwan still has a big fat crush on Hansol. And Hansol is just Hansol, he returns the sentiment whenever he can, when he has to smile so brightly in front of the public behind his black mask and he touches Seungkwan’s shoulder. (Seungkwan smiles back, hiding all of his affection for him behind designer sunglasses and a sarcastic quip, all of it captured by the flashing lights of paparazzi and twenty different microphones shoved their ways.) </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol returns the sentiment when Seungkwan works himself silly, fabricating machinery that only he and his trusty AI can do. He picks up Seungkwan and brings him to his bed, with the promise that he will sleep for at least eight hours and eat decently. Hansol returns the sentiment in small things, a well thought-out Christmas present, holding Seungkwan tightly whenever a villain thinks they can just steal him away, serving a warm breakfast whenever Seungkwan wakes up, be it at noon or full evening, always giving him a second chance whenever he fucks up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan doesn’t have the best morning routines, him being a genius doesn't mean he is good at keeping track of his health, but he IS good at reading people.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He is so good that he has to stop himself from grabbing Hansol away whenever he notices someone flirting with him, flirting with the fake persona Hansol has created, hidden away by a mask and a polite smile. Because Seungkwan is just an engineer, and Hansol is one of Seoul’s best superheroes. Technically they are not childhood friends, technically Seungkwan doesn’t feel jealous, technically Hansol wouldn’t give a second glance in his direction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he does.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s when the mask slips away and they are all exhausted, tired of socializing with high-end pricks that not only want Seungkwan to talk about his stocks in the market and his latest creations, but want Hansol to act pretty and smile and act like he is a living legend. It’s tiring.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Hansol sleeps with him from time to time. Well not WITH him, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>with </span>
  </em>
  <span>him. Not in that sense… you get what he means…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They share a bed, be it Seungkwan’s queen-sized bed or Hansol’s smaller one. And it’s a heartbreak for Seungkwan all over again, when Hansol rests his head on Seungkwan’s shoulder, all vulnerable and all just</span>
  <em>
    <span> Hansol</span>
  </em>
  <span>, just him in his ever human existence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those times Seungkwan cannot sleep, can you blame him though, he doesn’t really want the man to notice the gigantic crush he has been hiding for years now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So back again in circles to the beginning of this ramble.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan is just an engineer. But he is a fucking brilliant one, he creates accessories and gadgets for Seoul’s best superheroes, he gives them a home, he is also their technical consultant. He is very precious, that’s why to the public and to villains, Seungkwan is a goddamned powerful asset. Emphasis on asset, object, something that can be thrown away, unlike the superheroes he works for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He has to work fast and he has to always be a step ahead. Seungkwan has tried to the best of his abilities to keep himself fresh, to find a way to make his mind immortal, something, </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>, to not just be viewed as a human among gods, but something else, something closer to what Ganymedes was to the Olympian gods.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The many things he has tried so far. Hansol has frowned at.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hooking his brain to his AI? Hansol frowned at the idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What would you even gain from that? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He asked. And Seungkwan wonders. Hansol’s mind? A masterpiece. He is a strange man behind the mask, he loves hip-hop and dresses in the worst way he has ever seen someone dress, he wears hoodies and beanies and his mind tends to wander, he is a technical man in front of everyone, but he is a spiritual man to the core. So Seungkwan doesn’t get why Hansol doesn’t understand his idea. Seungkwan started a ramble about AI and minds and brain waves and consciousness and holograms, and “If I die, I will be there! Just not physically” and </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>particular phrase threw Hansol for a loop and a half.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He clearly did not like the idea of Seungkwan dying. Who would? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, not Seungkwan, or anyone in his company. They would probably rip each other to pieces to get a hold of his CEO position once he was gone. But Hansol physically recoiled at that phrase, as if he forgot that Seungkwan was just human, a fragile human being that could get hurt if Hansol held him in the wrong way. And that cannot be possible because he knows, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hansol is always aware of that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tried cloning. Hansol </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated </span>
  </em>
  <span>that.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s morally ambiguous and we need just one of you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>True… plus, if cloning ended in the wrong hands that would have been the end of the world, all they needed at that point was Hansol’s DNA.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Seungkwan turned his attention towards the closest thing. Time-traveling with a pinch of alternative universes. His AI announced that it was like pulling a string in a gigantic mess of hay and hairs, which was the weirdest thing Seungkwan had heard his AI say, but it wasn’t completely wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was more of a betting poll, Seungkwan just hoped that he would pull up a copy of himself; maybe in another universe he was a superhero.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What he pulled up instead was another Hansol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Visibly younger, different hair color, different eye color, but still him, and very confused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oops.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“Seungkwan?” It’s the first thing </span><em><span>Hansol</span></em><span> says. Well, it’s not Hansol </span><em><span>Hansol. </span></em><span>His</span> <span>Hansol doesn’t have silver hair, his Hansol doesn’t have gray eyes. It’s like looking at him through a funhouse mirror. It’s… peculiar…</span></p><p><span>“Hi…” Seungkwan mutters. The man doesn’t even look that scared, he is just looking at Seungkwan </span><em><span>as</span></em> <em><span>if he is seeing a ghost</span></em><span>.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Seungkwan!” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hansol </span>
  </em>
  <span>(?) repeats, and he just crowds him, this Hansol hugs Seungkwan with an animosity he hasn’t seen in his Hansol in years. “I thought you were gone! But you’re here! Alive!” He continues, and now Seungkwan understands that he has fucked up beyond any human level.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because this Hansol is looking at Seungkwan as if he is </span>
  <em>
    <span>in love </span>
  </em>
  <span>with him, as if he is going to kiss this version of Seungkwan, this older version of whoever the Seungkwan in his universe was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Seungkwan stops him because he has a conscience, and with the help of his AI, he explains everything to him. To this big-eyed version of Hansol, this younger version of him, that is so close to how Hansol was when Seungkwan and he were just kids. So he has to ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How old are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nineteen,” he answers, throwing a pair of forceps in the air and catching it again effortlessly. He is a super indeed, Seungkwan can recognize one with his eyes closed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Twenty-four.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This Hansol gasps, then moves closer to Seungkwan, zooming around unfinished machinery and computers and just general junk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t look twenty-four, you look younger.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that Seungkwan laughs, because it is the lamest attempt at a compliment he has ever seen Hansol try.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice one, Hansol.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that the super pauses, blinking in confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one really calls me Hansol anymore…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do they call you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vernon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there it is.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you </span>
  <em>
    <span>used</span>
  </em>
  <span> to call me Hansollie.” He smiles, it’s a secret smile that Seungkwan has seen countless times before... </span>
  <em>
    <span>before </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hansol had become the beacon of hope he is now. All Seungkwan sees of that smile now is just the shadow of it, whenever he talks about his sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan can feel himself falling in love all over again, for a different iteration of the same person. And that can’t be right, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>who </span>
  </em>
  <span>falls in love twice with the same person? He must be going insane.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan nods; for once he has no words, he needs to get Vernon back where he was. Presto.  If not this is going to end </span>
  <em>
    <span>badly.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He spends the rest of the evening working on the portal he had built for weeks, in the hopes that it could work again. But at the twelfth attempt and no solution, he throws the towel. He will have to get back at it with a fresher mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Somewhere along the way, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Vernon </span>
  </em>
  <span>has fallen asleep on the couch Seungkwan keeps in there. Seungkwan looks at him, at the familiar relaxed arch of his eyebrows, at the way his mouth hangs slightly open, at how his chest rises and falls. He looks just like Hansol, which should be obvious, but it’s not. Not to Seungkwan at least. Not with him looking younger and somehow more open, it makes Seungkwan feel like things are not complicated with Vernon, he just talks to and compliments Seungkwan and looks at him as if he </span>
  <em>
    <span>loves </span>
  </em>
  <span>him back, and that hurts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan sighs, temporarily defeated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, he has to tell everyone that another Hansol is living with them for some time, while Seungkwan finds a way to get him back to his own reality. He knows Seungcheol is going to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>pissed </span>
  </em>
  <span>about it, and that Joshua is going to shake his head, and that Chan is going to roll his eyes, and that Hansol is going to convince everyone that he will repair the mess he just created, like always. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What he does not expect is Joshua prodding at the younger Hansol, or Seungcheol asking the most curious of questions, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hansol looking like he is the one that has been wronged here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Were you trying to substitute me?” Hansol whispers in his ear. He looks hurt, like a kicked puppy. Seungkwan laughs, because even just the idea is fucking insane to him, there is no way, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no way</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he is ever going to do that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not!” They both look as Seokmin and Soonyoung crowd Vernon, checking him out. Vernon notices only Seungkwan, it’s like his vision zeroes in on him and nothing else, and he winks, smiling. It is so unlike Hansol that Seungkwan giggles, </span>
  <em>
    <span>yeah</span>
  </em>
  <span>, no way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol at his side frowns, dark and thick eyebrows forming a very pronounced frown right in the middle of his forehead. What is he even upset about, Seungkwan doesn’t get it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Many, many years ago a kid was born with what, at the time, the doctors defined as a very particular inability. His left eye was gone, but he could see from it as if it was present, he would usually lament that there were </span>
  <em>
    <span>things </span>
  </em>
  <span>he could see that others could not, and dream of things that had yet to happen. He was considered a medical mystery for some years, until on the other side of the world a few kids were born with many different superhuman abilities, and immediately everyone knew what was happening. Supes were being born for apparently no reason. Scientific explanations as to why and how it happened still were being researched, but many theorized it was nature’s natural progress or a genetic improvement of sorts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Until now, many years later, almost no one is completely sure how that happened. It is for sure a rare thing, a random one, like throwing a dice and suddenly your kid has superpowers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol was not born like that. He and Seungcheol were introduced to a program that enhanced their capabilities. Seungkwan was 18 when that happened and he and Hansol were nowhere close to each other. Hansol had applied for the army, and somewhere along the line, Seungkwan had had a very heavy discussion about it with him. So they fell apart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t talk that year, and when Hansol was presented to the public as a successful operation (while keeping his identity a mystery), Seungkwan was studying at a boarding school in Japan. So, clearly, he was not aware of Hansol’s situation when he came back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>19-year-old Seungkwan was a big idiot. A stupid kid that thought his intelligence was like an invincibility cloak over his person. He drank a lot, he partied a lot, he dated a lot of people, all of it for the sake of keeping Hansol out of his mind. Out of his heart too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan is still plagued by the consequences of what he had done then. He was more reckless, more prone to endanger himself, more of a general mess. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>19-year-old Hansol was a new hero, one that was still learning about his powers, but eager to help, eager to save the world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They met again when Seungkwan was almost killed in a car accident. Seungkwan was not supposed to recognize him, but he did, carefully touching his face and whispering a ‘Hansol’, and Hansol was not supposed to say ‘yes, it’s me’, but he did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So back to five years later, Seungkwan now works for the team they have because he is their consultant, he gets paid a shitton of money for it and he gets to live with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Many would say it is a mess to live with other supes, but it is fairly simple for him. It is nice. They all have become pretty close friends over the five years they have been operating. They all maintain their privacy as a very important factor for everyone so they rarely get to see his room without Seungkwan plain out asking them in. Besides Hansol, at least.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tower they live in has many floors, many rooms where they can host people, they surely don’t lack the space. But somehow Vernon (the young version of Hansol that Seungkwan still has to bring back to his own timeline and universe) doesn’t want to sleep in the room they provided for him. Vernon is standing right outside Seungkwan's door, looking at Seungkwan with big eyes and asking if he can crash here because he is lonely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan can smell bullshit when it presents itself in front of him, especially if it is 3 am. He is slightly pissed because it was a good night, one where he got to sleep decently for once. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he is one step away from closing the door in front of Vernon’s nose and calling it a night. But he doesn’t, because he is a gentleman, and because Vernon is his responsibility even though he is an adult, and because he </span>
  <em>
    <span>likes </span>
  </em>
  <span>Vernon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighs and then says “sure”, letting him inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This Vernon sleeps so close to Seungkwan he can barely keep any space to himself. He wraps his arms around Seungkwan’s waist and buries his nose in Seungkwan’s neck. Comments on Seungkwan smelling good, and then falls asleep in a matter of minutes. This Vernon sighs prettily and whimpers in his sleep. Seungkwan tries his best to ignore it, and for the most part, he manages.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That is until he wakes up to something stabbing his back. Well… not just </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And definitely not stabbing, more like poking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan can understand morning wood, he occasionally gets to have his, that’s what the box of paper napkins on his bedside table is for. He is a man, he gets it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So now he is torn between waking Vernon up and embarrassing him, or waiting it out and hoping that it goes away. He can’t get up because Vernon is in the same position they fell asleep in and his grip is incredibly hard to free himself of.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Seungkwan waits, looking out of the glass windows, out in the city where big towers just like theirs reflect the morning sun. He makes a few mental equations, a few notes that he whispers to his AI, the usual stuff that he does when he is waking up and his mind is running miles per hour even though his body is not.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s clear to Seungkwan that Vernon is indeed a younger version of Hansol. Even now, with him just sleeping right beside Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The times Hansol shares a bed with him, he always wakes up before Seungkwan can catch him, which is incredible since Seungkwan is an early bird himself. Man sleeps with him and then leaves before Seungkwan can even say “Goodmorning”. Rude.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon wakes up slowly, not fully aware of his surroundings yet, dragging his hard-on over Seungkwan’s backside until he notices what he is truly doing. Seungkwan prays to every god that Vernon doesn’t notice the effect all of this closeness has on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit… sorry,” Vernon says, his voice husky and low. Seungkwan’s stomach flips, because that’s something new, and it’s unfair how good his voice sounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No worries,” Seungkwan mutters, unsure where to look. And even though Vernon says he is sorry, he doesn’t do much to change the situation they’re in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He actually looks over Seungkwan’s shoulder, down to his crotch, where Seungkwan’s dick is clearly just as hard as Vernon’s. Embarrassing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon chuckles, a low rumble that reverberates against Seungkwan’s back. Seungkwan juggles the embarrassment and the arousement in both his hands, wondering if he should say something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you need a hand with that?” He asks, his breath touching Seungkwan’s neck, it’s a small sensation against his flushed skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan is the older one, he should be the one thinking straight and saying no. But he can’t, because he wants this. It might come back to bite him in the ass </span>
  <em>
    <span>later</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but he truly doesn’t care </span>
  <em>
    <span>now. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Not when Vernon’s fingers grasp at his dick and pull, making him moan, Seungkwan fixes his eyes on Vernon’s hand, on the long fingers and his gentle but secure grip, and then he looks back at Vernon, gasping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This is bad, there is some philosophical question somewhere in his mind. Something about letting Vernon do that to him while he looks unfairly beautiful in the morning sunlight, how his grey eyes shine lazily, how his silver hair is ruffled and messy, but still looks good. How he should not do this because it’s… oddly wrong.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he doesn’t stop Vernon from kissing him either. Their lips lock gently as Vernon slowly works Seungkwan up to his orgasm. When Vernon starts whispering sweet nothings in his ear, Seungkwan comes, low thrumming in his eardrums and Vernon’s smile against his skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he says, while Seungkwan gasps, and he doesn’t know what to answer to that, because Seungkwan should be the one saying thanks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So he returns the favor as a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank you,</span>
  </em>
  <span> instead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The day starts horribly after that – Jeonghan has pulled up at the tower, crisp suit and talking into an earpiece, blonde hair styled elegantly, holding a cup of americano in his hand and waving good morning to everyone in the common area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan already knows why he is there and tries to hide himself between Hansol and Vernon, who are sitting at his right and left, munching on their breakfast unaware of how small Seungkwan is making himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And he can see the glare Jeonghan is ready to give him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan has been absent for the past week, trying to fix his mistake. That also means that he has been neglecting his everyday job, which is being a CEO and, you know, piloting a whole company. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeonghan hates doing the job of others so Seungkwan is fully aware now that he is going to die by the hands of his assistant. If what his AI has been telling him is true, Jeonghan has been calling in for days now, and Seungkwan likes to hide in his mind while he works. He answers automatically when his AI says “Sir, </span>
  <em>
    <span>person X</span>
  </em>
  <span> is calling”, because Seungkwan doesn’t like to be interrupted when he is so into his work that he doesn’t notice he has been at it for hours straight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he’s not surprised Jeonghan is pissed at him for sending his calls directly to the voicemail. And Seungkwan feels guilty too, since he has been distracted with this mess he has made.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before he can actually say something, though, Jeonghan blinks at Vernon and Hansol, has a double take at that, and says “My goodness, Hansol-ah, I didn’t know you had a twin brother”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol laughs dryly. “That’s because I don’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soonyoung is sitting on the sofa, in the living room area that is a few steps away from them, watching something, but he answers for Seungkwan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s Vernon, a younger version of Hansol. Seungkwan created a machine that can skim through timelines and now he is stuck with us until Seungkwan manages to get him back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He misses a few details, but has the full story explained to Jeonghan in two seconds, which is what counts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jeonghan nods once, twice, then looks at Seungkwan as if he has now found a second reason to kill him. He waves his finger and Seungkwan grumbles, gets up from the stool he is sitting on and leaves with Jeonghan. Vernon doesn’t say anything about it, and for once he doesn’t even try to follow. Which is weird, but Seungkwan is not going to question it, yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jeonghan leads him to Seungkwan’s floor, through the living area and towards his room, opens the walk-in closet he has and starts looking for a suit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…,” Seungkwan starts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say anything, you have a meeting in two hours and I have not slept well in the last six days. You owe me so much money right now for how many extraordinaries I have done this week and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to make you pay.” Jeonghan shoots from the other side of the closet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He comes back out with a full outfit already prepared and shoves everything in his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, Seungkwannie?” He asks, smiling sharply, venom dripping from his lips, and paralyzing Seungkwan on the spot. Yeah, Jeonghan is terrifying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, got it… Sorry again for that…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jeonghan huffs, because if there is one thing he hates it’s when Seungkwan is genuinely sorry about something, and makes Jeonghan feel like a massive asshole for getting all pissy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just get dressed, you’ll have a full day.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He does as requested, because god knows how scary Jeonghan gets once he is at his limit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he steps into the living area, dressed to the nines and cleaned up for the day, Jeonghan is writing something on the personal tablet Seungkwan created for him. It’s a black sleek device that he gifted to Jeonghan after the first year they worked together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeonghan loves that thing, he never moves away from it, and Seungkwan makes sure it gets updated every now and then. Not that it really needs important updates, since it’s one of a kind, but Seungkwan likes to keep his things polished and up to par, even if it’s not something he will personally use. And Jeonghan seems to actually take extra care of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They pass most of their time in the car, because they have to go to different places every two/three hours, and Jeonghan uses the opportunity to ask questions, because if there's one thing Jeonghan doesn’t know what to do is being discreet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So there are now two Hansols?” He says as he notes something down on his tablet. Seungkwan sighs because he knows this conversation is a big mistake, slumps on the car seat, deflating already at the idea of talking about it to Jeonghan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeonghan smiles, it’s a small gesture, but Seungkwan already knows where this will end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… now you have to confess to two of them, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jeonghan is very close to Seungkwan, he chose him personally because he really needed an assistant that wouldn’t kiss his ass and that would be direct with him. Jeonghan is very no-bullshit from that point of view, but after a year of working together Seungkwan noticed he slowly came to show more and more of his personality.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One of which was that he was a very caring person and a very attentive one at that. So it took him literally nothing to notice Seungkwan’s crush. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he's been trying to push him to confess, under the assumption that “Hansol-ah would understand, I don't get why you are so nervous about it”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan always insists that he doesn’t want to make things weird between them, he feels like Hansol sees him more like a brother, considering the long-ass time they have spent together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To which Jeonghan just laughs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You truly don’t know how he looks at you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jeonghan thinks, but never says.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time Vernon is the one to hold Seungkwan once they get him back from the usual villain that tried to snatch him away from Seoul’s biggest hero squad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s getting better; every time it’s some novice villain that still doesn’t get that it’s a suicide mission to even try and kidnap Seungkwan, and Seungkwan gets less and less frightened by them, since it always ends in petty requests, and not intimidating situations. It just gets annoying, for sure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So Seungkwan is being held by silver-haired Vernon, whose superhero name is now </span>
  <em>
    <span>Silver. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Very fucking original, he knows, but it’s better than two supes having the same name. (More over the agency that overlooks them was more than willing to let </span>
  <em>
    <span>Silver </span>
  </em>
  <span>operate while he is staying with them, and the media is a having a great day trying to figure out who Silver is)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Silver </span>
  </em>
  <span>can fly, a thing that Hansol cannot do. Besides that the very difference between their core powers is literally nothing. Super strength and strategic mind, that is in both of them, makes an invincible machine, and Vernon slots in very easily in the team, from what Seokmin and Sooyoung tell him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon is still holding him when they land, right in front of Seungcheol and Seokmin, and Hansol.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is new” Seokmin guffaws, and Seungcheol nods, because it truly is new. It is usually Hansol, the one to save the day, always has been him to save Seungkwan from any kind of villain and promptly return him to safety. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan can actually see his persona mask falter, just a bit, before it goes back on again once the cameras surround them. He has been trained to do so, and Seungkwan can see how much of a strain it can be sometimes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan is fine with this position, has always been the damsel in distress and it probably won’t end any time soon, even though Pledis could try and install better safety protocols for Seungkwan’s sake, you know… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silver smiles at Seungkwan, and Seungkwan smiles back. He has learnt that him and Hansol are basically very different people even though fundamentally they are the same. Vernon is very touchy, is all about demonstrating his affection through small but over the top gestures, and he is so, so attached to Seungkwan. Much more than Hansol himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Seungkwan lets him, because it’s still a very young iteration of Hansol. He has to pretend to be a good hyung to him, even though Silver boy here never calls him hyung. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Vernon puts him down, Seungkwan smiles again, and with him Vernon does too. Like a mirror. Seungkwan finds it very sweet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol coughs at their side, interrupting the moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I’m sorry </span>
  <em>
    <span>hyung</span>
  </em>
  <span>, are we in your way?” Vernon puts a hand on Seungkwan’s waist and pulls him, their bodies are flush, and Vernon floats to the side, stealing Seungkwan with himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... No” Hansol grits “Come back down please” he adds, looking up at them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon feigns thinking about it, then smiles “No! See you in twenty minutes!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan has barely the time to mouth a ‘Sorry’ to a very conflicted Hansol, before Vernon flies away with Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Who is totally not having the time of his life, he truly is not, not at all! Not when Vernon puts him down delicately, and still hugs him, on the top of Seoul’s best views, from the big ass tower they all have found shelter in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can let go now, you know...” Seungkwan says, he giggles, there’s a bubble right inside his chest that's ready to burst. He can feel Vernon so close to him, his breath on his neck, the skin of his cheek lightly touching Seungkwan’s face. Something is there, in his chest, the more Vernon touches him and refuses to let go, the more Seungkwan is compelled to let him do that, to let Vernon touch him as if he means something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we have dinner tonight? Just the two of us?” Vernon asks, his lips are gracing Seungkwan’s skin, they’re not touching, but it’s so close that they might as well do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tonight?” Seungkwan thinks if he has something to do that night, but nothing comes to mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” he finally says, Vernon is happy about that answer, finally detaching himself from Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you at eight! Dress sharp!” Vernon says, his hair gets all bouncy when he moves back inside, in a hurry. It makes Seungkwan laugh, in a fond way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He is still working for a way to bring back Vernon to his own reality, the progress is slow because something seems to be always getting damaged when he tries to make it work, it’s annoying, and the more time passes the antsier Hansol becomes. Seungkwan can see Hansol doesn’t like this younger version of himself. He gets all bothered when he enters a room and sees Vernon trying to cling to Seungkwan, who maybe is reading or watching tv or literally doing something important. Seungkwan gets it, Hansol doesn’t like getting interrupted, so he is sure Hansol gets annoyed by proxy. He doesn’t say anything, but it’s pretty easy to read him for Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan moves away from the open space of the helipad, and goes inside, his skin getting warmer as soon as the automatic sliding doors close behind his back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s 6 pm right now, he can work for an hour and then get ready, all Vernon said was to dress elegantly, so maybe what he has in mind is to go to a restaurant or something, he is not sure.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol is downstairs in the common room when Seungkwan is done getting ready, it’s 7:50, Seungkwan gives himself a pat on the back because he is never early. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol is sitting on the sofa, mask off, beanie on, dressed in the biggest hoodie Seungkwan has ever seen, and turns around as soon as he hears someone approach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looking sharp” he mutters, eyeing him up. Seungkwan feels good, he put on one of his evening suits, he styled his hair, he is all dolled up for whatever plan Vernon has. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks!” Seungkwan answers smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Going on a date?” Hansol asks, a smile on his lips, it’s one of the fake ones, that is the first time Seungkwan has ever seen Hansol use one of those when not in public.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His question makes Seungkwan wonder, is this a date? Vernon did not specify that. And Seungkwan is scared to ask now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe it is. Maybe it’s not, he is not sure.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hasn’t seen Vernon in those two hours, he usually follows Seungkwan everywhere, and if he knows Seungkwan is in his workshop, he usually gets in there and sits by the sofa. Seungkwan appreciates the company and somehow Vernon knows when he can interrupt  and when he can’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s no new thing for Seungkwan to have people in there, Hansol drops by too, maybe to bring food, or to read a book, or to talk, it’s nice, he also seems very aware of when he is allowed do that, and Seungkwan has the suspicion his AI is telling them what happens. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Vernon answers from the elevator, from the other side of the room. He is also dressed sharply, clean two pieces that show off how broad his shoulders are.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan gapes, and then smiles when Vernon takes his hand and kisses it. Sweet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May we go?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan laughs “We may” He spares one smile at Hansol too, an apologetic one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have fun” Hansol says from the sofa, it should sound like he is indeed happy for them, but it doesn’t sound like that at all, it sounds wrong in Seungkwan’s ears but all he can do is say thanks before Vernon steals him away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dinner, as Seungkwan has found out, is set down not in a restaurant, but somewhere in the outskirts of Seoul, a simple table inside a gazebo on a hill that overlooks the city. They flew there, and their dresses got a little bit ruffled in the way, but the view was worth it, and Vernon is happy, because Seungkwan is happy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan doesn’t ask how the food is still warm when they got there, or how he managed to find a gazebo on a goddamned hill. But he suspects that Vernon has made ten different errands and he probably owes favors to everyone in the tower.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the first hour they eat, and talk, the food is great and the company is even better. It is easy to talk to Vernon, obviously, and Vernon although very flirty, it’s very much identical to his older counterpart. They have the same taste, and the same mind, but Vernon takes his hand over the table and doesn’t let go, compliments him on how his hair looks, and looks at Seungkwan as if he is the only person in the universe for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan doesn’t really know how to react to that, to this kind of attention from Vernon, because he </span>
  <em>
    <span>likes </span>
  </em>
  <span>this Vernon, he likes his goofiness and his laugh and his touch. But he also </span>
  <em>
    <span>likes </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hansol.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And for how much he says he is a good person, Seungkwan fundamentally is just human. A very flawed one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he has been waiting for so long for something like this… He truly is desperate…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So when he lies down to look up at the stars with Vernon, he wonders if he is indeed letting Vernon woo him and maybe begin something with him. He really, really, likes Vernon, that is why he is letting him romantically pursue him in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like your mind is in two places right now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Truly, that is the case, but Seungkwan doesn’t really want to admit it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you mind me asking a question?” He asks, instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This could lead to their date ending very badly, but Seungkwan is very curious by nature, and Vernon can outright negate and not give him an answer, so he asks anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened to the Seungkwan in your timeline?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon’s smile falters, but it’s just a second. It makes Seungkwan wonder how much of it is real and how much of it is a mask. He knows that Vernon is by nature slightly more keen in smiling than Hansol, but he doubts it’s something that has been natural to him in the long run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How much of it is just a way to cope for him? How much of it is to hide away his real feelings?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon’s eyes look up at the sky, as if he is gathering a way to say things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to tell me, I’m just very nosy, and I should have just not asked, I’m sorry…” Seungkwan continues, he nervously shakes his hands in front of himself. There it is, he ruined the mood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon shakes his head, he smiles gently. “It’s alright, I feel like you have to know this anyways… It’s you we are talking about, albeit in another timeline”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Vernon talks, speaks about what happened, about when he applied for the army, about how he came back to a casket, a name he has never wished to see written on a tombstone. A reality that was almost true in Seungkwan’s universe too, wasn’t it for Hansol’s intervention, and he can see how much it has affected Vernon, how much he has wished to do the same. How the cut is so fresh, how it pains him to talk about it, but how he hadn’t had the time to mourn, especially since his new duty called back all of his attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan cannot imagine how it must have been, to never talk to Hansol, about how the last time they talked could have been harsh words and cold silence, everything set in stone with anger and rage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan notices that both have been coping like this, in very different ways, but still looking at a person they feel they cannot reach anymore, Seungkwan for his feelings for Hansol and Vernon for far worse reasons than Seungkwan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It feels a little bit better when they kiss back in the tower, when they wrap their arms around each other and drown in their own heat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promised myself I would not make you feel like that anymore'' Vernon whispers in the space between their bodies. What he means, he doesn’t specify, but Seungkwan gets it anyways.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wants this Seungkwan to not be angry at him anymore. He wants this Seungkwan to know about Vernon’s feelings for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan lets him reclaim his body, that night, locking lips and biting into soft skin and silently moaning into the bedsheets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan gets it now, once the waves of pleasure have calmed down and they both are left with foggy minds and exhausted bodies. Vernon clings to him for dear life, in his sleep, and Seungkwan lets him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wonders, what it could be, to not have Hansol by his side, to break their friendship in the harshest of ways and not being able to make up. Fate has been very cruel to Vernon, so Seungkwan feels slightly blessed, for the smallest thing, really.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol is there the morning after, when Seungkwan goes to the common room to eat breakfast, Vernon is still sleeping in his bed and Seungkwan feels every kind of debauched, sitting in front of Hansol, wrapped in a hoodie and a pair of joggers, his hair is probably a mess, by how fondly and amused Hansol is looking at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol smiles, this time it feels natural on his face, like he is genuinely happy to see Seungkwan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How was your date?” He asks, puts a coffee cup in front of Seungkwan and a warm plate of pancakes of all things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan doesn’t answer until he has at least taken a sip, and Hansol waits patiently, serving himself some food in the process.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sits right beside Seungkwan, just as Seungkwan’s brain finally catches up to what he has been asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good… Romantic… Very angst filled” Seungkwan mutters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Hansol smiles confused “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right, words don’t work if you don’t use them in a complete sentence, go figure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was romantic… He bought me up on a hill where there was this amazing view… Then I managed to ruin the mood and ask him about myself in </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>universe…” Hansol nods at that, a sign that he is listening, and very attentively so.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It feels nice, to talk with Hansol, like friends, like confidants. Seungkwan isn’t really sure why he is though, it must be really weird listening to your best friend talk about a date he had with… well, yourself, but not yourself actually. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ugh, confusing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He said that I died, around the time we had that discussion, back in college.” Hansol's eyes cloud a bit at that, as if he knows what it must have been like, what his fear must have been through Vernon’s reality.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... I see. So that’s why…” </span>
  <em>
    <span>he clings to you so much</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan nods, and Hansol sighs. There is something not said between them, as Hansol wraps his hand around Seungkwan’s, as they hold hands like that while they eat breakfast. This is familiar, Seungkwan thinks, but it’s also very rare the way Hansol would be touchy like this. And Seungkwan cherishes every moment it happens.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon comes down once they are done, when Seokmin and Joshua are eating and Seungkwan and Hansol are washing the dishes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His silver hair is disheveled, and he looks like he needs a few more hours of sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua is the first one to notice his presence, even before he gets to the floor they are at, Vernon’s thoughts probably disturbing him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua being the mind reader he is is very good at filtering away things, but when he is relaxed like that he can slip up, and catch glimpses even when he doesn’t really intend to. He is slowly learning how to completely get a hold of his powers, and some days is harder than others, but he is sure by the time he reaches his thirties, he will be able to have full control of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He clears his throat, as if he read something he was not supposed to, and goes back to talk with Seokmin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Goodmorning,” Vernon croaks, deep voice still sleepy. They all answer, with varying levels of enthusiasm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol is drying his hands when Vernon sits down to eat something, looks at him as if he is thinking up a plan, eyes focused on his figure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vernon,” he says “Do you mind training with me and Seungcheol today?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon looks up and the air gets cold, like a challenge has been thrown and now is up to Vernon to accept it or not. Seokmin looks between them while eating a big bite of his food, Joshua simply sips on his coffee and Seungkwan looks the most alarmed, not really knowing what exactly is happening right that moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Seungkwan knows them, Vernon will not back down from it, even if he says something against it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Vernon smiles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone else looks between them as if they are looking at two lions ready to fight, but it doesn’t happen. They just go back to what they were doing, and things are fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weird.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Training, Vernon has found out, is hard. In his timeline he doesn’t have Seungcheol. In his timeline Seungcheol is just a normal soldier, a friend, a very close one. So he is surprised when Seungcheol flips him on the mat over and over again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He accepted Hansol’s invite because he was curious, now his curiosity has turned and shifted in something closer to competitiveness. In something that makes him get up and try once and once again to beat Seungcheol.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as his back hits the surface of the mat for the fifth time that day, this time he doesn’t get up, but he breathes heavily looking at the ceiling of the gym. He considers his options, he could leave it, or could stay and get beaten up by Seungcheol some more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungcheol’s face pops into his field of vision, slightly concerned. “You ok?” He asks, offering his hand for Vernon to stand up. Vernon pants a “Yeah” as Seungcheol pulls him up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol is drying his hair with a towel a few steps away from them, he has not intervened yet, has let Seungcheol flip him around like a sandbag, while he trained with a punching bag. Which is unfair in so many ways, but Vernon does not express that one concern to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ya, Hansol, what about you help him out with the next set of moves? I need to take a call right now”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol nods, and Seungcheol leaves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It occurs to Vernon that this is the first time that they are together alone in the same room, from one side he is not afraid of himself, and from another, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows </span>
  </em>
  <span>that they will have to eventually talk about Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So the next set is pretty easy.” Hansol starts, but Vernon stops him. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hyung, </span>
  </em>
  <span>are we seriously not going to talk about the elephant in the room?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol glares at him “Later” Is all he answers</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can multitask” Is all Vernon says, shrugging, and that seems good enough for Hansol, so he shows the set, carefully explaining to Vernon how to move his body in a way that can overtake an enemy easily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In their field it is easy to underestimate an enemy, Hansol explains, and Vernon understands, he knows that Hansol has seen far more battles than Vernon, so he listens.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your turn” he says, as they practice. There is something in there to say about safety procedures and stuff, but then again, it’s hard to kill someone like Vernon, especially by mistake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon takes the moment to start talking </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Thump</b>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Vernon is back again with his back on the mat, not even aware of how it happened, looks up at Hansol, who is trying to hide a grin, the grip on his hand is still there, steel hard and immovable, as he pulls Vernon up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Again.” Hansol says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” Vernon says, as he positions himself. “As I was saying… Seung-”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Thump</b>
</p><p>
  <span>This time the way his back hits the mat makes him go breathless, he gasps, because even if he has seen it coming, he is still caught off-guard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thought you said you were able to multitask” Hansol teases, still hiding his grin and looking down at Vernon. Vernon is not one to get angry, but… BUT Hansol is truly testing his patience right there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...” He says nothing this time around, concentrates on Hansol’s movements, and just as it looks like Hansol is going to throw him on the mat again, he manages to take him down too. They both fall on the ground, grunting in unison.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There is something about Hansol. He is not a narcissist, he can see his own flaws, physical first and foremost. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But, when he sees this older version of himself, he can admit to himself that has grown up quite nicely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that is all he is going to dwell on, while he looks at Hansol, looks back at him disgruntled, but with no real rage underneath his stare. He gets up and then helps Vernon, yet again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You still have so much to learn,” Hansol grumbles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, likewise.” Vernon answers, but doesn’t specify, even when Hansol prods at him to explain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just know I am not your enemy here, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hyung.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” and it’s true, he is not antagonizing Hansol, he actually hopes for Hansol to finally notice Seungkwan’s feelings, and in the meanwhile his own feelings. And he knows himself, the only way to do so is to force his hand a little, the fact that he gets to spend some time with Seungkwan in the meanwhile is just a big plus in the situation. Hansol doesn’t pry after that, mostly because Seungcheol comes back, and Hansol moves to train with the punching bag again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon doesn’t completely blame it on Hansol, Seungkwan also has some fault in it, both of them pinning at each other is a painful view that Vernon hopes not to see in the foreseeable future. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But that is all to be decided yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Joshua pulls away Seungkwan from his workshop that evening. Jeonghan comes with them because Seungkwan owes him a pretty hefty paycheck and one way to repay it is to invite him out for dinner, so now Jeonghan and Joshua are both sitting with him, waiting for their dinner to be served and sipping on expensive wine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The both of them know each other because of Seungkwan, Joshua likes Jeonghan’s personality, and Jeonghan likes Joshua’s. So they hang out in their free time. Seungkwan is also pretty sure they did date some time prior. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are the greediest person I know Seungkwan-ah” Jeonghan says, out of nowhere, he swirls the wine in his glass and sips from it. Joshua blinks, but seems pretty much in tune with what Jeonghan just said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Seungkwan answers, because that was random.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You dated Vernon, I assume?” Jeonghan continues, and now Joshua is interested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did?” He gasps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... I did, so what?” Seungkwan now feels like he is being ambushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you guys…” Jeonghan doesn’t continue, but the way he smiles makes Seungkwan understand what he means. “You guys… !” Joshua parrots.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We did, again, what about it?” Seungkwan sighs, if he knew he was going to be interrogated about his romantic choices he would have not let Joshua convince him to go out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua sighs too “My lord, you truly are the greediest person”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell do you mean by that!” Seungkwan bursts out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You may be the most intelligent person here, but something tells me you're not as clever as you think you are,” Joshua says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a surprise.” Jeonghan mutters into his glass wine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now they are insulting him, out of fucking nowhere. Seungkwan is a pretty cool guy, a pretty ok dude, a pretty chill person. But if there is a thing he detests is people being vague, that’s the whole reason he likes Jeonghan in the first place! Because he is straightforward and has no problem telling him what he is thinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the he has moments like these where he seems to pulls arguments out of his ass just to annoy Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you-“ Seungkwan starts, before Jeonghan stops him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have to figure it out yourself, what I mean. You already did a pretty good step, but then again, you only did half of the job. What a pity, I thought you would at least take the occasion to go double.” Jeonghan winks, and it takes Seungkwan some minutes to figure out what he means.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the middle of their dinner Seungkwan gasps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want me to date both of them!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua and Jeonghan both look up at the same time, chewing on their food, as if Jeonghan didn’t just propose the dirtiest thing ever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I can't do that! It would be…” his mind wanders, to him being sandwiched between Hansol and Vernon, and he stops.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He might.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he really can’t, mostly because Hansol doesn’t like him </span>
  <em>
    <span>that way</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re the sex expert, figure it out yourself.” Jeonghan mutters, shoving another bite of overpriced pasta in his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right. One year of sexual escapades and scandals and </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>makes Seungkwan the </span>
  <em>
    <span>sex expert</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dick” Seungkwan answers, kicking Jeonghan on the shin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua just smiles, goes back to his dinner and none of them touch the subject again for the rest of the evening. When they get back to the tower, Seungkwan’s mind wanders, yet again to that particular image, and on how weird it makes him feel. Stupid. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He receives one text from Jeonghan before he goes to bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Hannie: </b>
  <em>Remember that for tomorrow’s fundraiser, Mingyu insists that you personally go with him. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right, the fundraiser, he forgot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan’s AI has been there for him for the longest time, it’s Seungkwan’s first and personal line of security and a second, more personal, assistant. He alerts the other supes in the tower if Seungkwan is in danger, and has very detailed instructions on how to operate for Seungkwan’s safety, at least if it is within his reach, which includes the tower, all of Seungkwan’s owned buildings, the industries he is CEO of, his house by the beach in Jeju-do, his cars, and his personal plane. So pretty much everywhere that is an enclosed space. He is his eyes and ears, his nannie, his butler and even stylist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So he is instructed to pretty much organize Seungkwan’s personal life, and protect him at the same time. It also learns from patterns, from people Seungkwan knows, and it knows when a certain person is allowed to have more space with Seungkwan and when another is not even allowed to breathe his same air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That is why when Vernon sneaks into his room late at night and freshly showered, his AI doesn’t do much than to alert Vernon that ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Seungkwan is in his third stage of non-REM sleep, please be mindful’</span>
  </em>
  <span> and let him crawl in the bedsheets with Seungkwan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As an AI directly developed by Seungkwan, it is destined to learn from everything it sees, but in the most safe and mindful way. It looks at Seungkwan and Hansol, and it understands that there is a very deep connection between them, that Hansol is the only person that knows Seungkwan for longer than even the AI itself does. It now understands that Seungkwan is letting Vernon slowly insert himself into his life, faster than he has let anyone get into his life. By studying Seungkwan’s characterisation patterns, it is aware that most of it it’s because Vernon is basically just a younger Hansol. It concludes that it is merely a choice made by Seungkwan as a way to get ahold of his feelings for Hansol.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It cannot understand human emotions and the infinite complex intricacies that this decision will lead to. It goes over its figurative head. But upon seeing Hansol’s reaction whenever Vernon and Seungkwan are in the same room, usually one close to the other, it concludes that Hansol is indeed jealous. Spiked blood pressure and an increased heart rate is to be noted everytime Hansol even sees Vernon alongside Seungkwan. His distraction levels are also through the roof whenever he spots them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol has also been asking the AI questions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Is he alone now?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Is he awake?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Is he out?’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pretty normal questions that have never been asked before by him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The AI does its best to not intrude too much in Seungkwan’s privacy, but then again Seungkwan has given Hansol a second in command override, which technically means that Hansol also owns Seungkwan’s AI.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So it does answer as requested, and it receives the same set of reactions whenever it says that no, Seungkwan is not alone, that he is with Vernon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The AI has also noted a changing pattern within Hansol’s attitude and behaviours, it is very slight, but then again, the AI has promptly been watching him and everyone in the tower for five years, and it can notice right away a change, even minimal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol has been holed up in the gym, or his room, or wherever he knows Seungkwan never goes. Hansol is a social person, and passes just enough time alone whenever he needs to take a break, but never does so when he knows other people are around and ready to spend time with him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> The AI concludes that it should alert someone that is at least proficient and close to him, so when morning comes, it informs Minghao of this particular and worrying pattern in Hansol’s habits. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minghao is surprised, but then again, Seungkwan has told them to be mindful, that the AI can learn, and it will do its best to prevent any kind of discordancies within the tower, and it will sometimes act on its own accordance to prevent the ill being of whoever lives in the tower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Is all Minghao answers, ending his meditation session early. “Do you know where he is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>He is in his room, may I alert him of your will to meet him?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, please”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minghao gets up, carefully stretches, and slowly moves out of his room. Seungkwan’s AI may have stopped his morning routine, but it’s fine, Hansol’s well-being is far more important. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He decides to bring some tea, so he prepares a teapot and two cups, no sugar, and goes in the elevator towards Hansol’s floor. The floors numbers ding lightly over the elevator’s doors, Minghao counts with them, calmly waiting to get where he needs to be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he gets there he can hear faint music from the speakers in the living area, Hansol is sitting alone on the sofa that overlooks the window, and if Minghao didn’t know him any better, he would think that he is relaxing right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Minghao does know him better, he knows this is what he does when he has a lot in his mind. He puts some music on and lets his mind wander, aimlessly, not letting his brain concentrate on a problem and just looking vaguely at the general picture.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I brought some tea,” Is all Minghao says when he moves the tray towards the little table in front of the sofa, he moves slowly, careful not to trip and spill anything, and sits beside Hansol once he gets there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, thanks,” Hansol answers, as Minghao pours the tea on the cups. “What’s in your mind?” Minghao asks, once he is done. He is not one to dance around a matter, and he knows Hansol appreciates that, in times where everyone is a yes man around him, especially if he has a black mask on and everyone tries to bend backwards to kiss his ass. And those are not Minghao words, those are Hansol’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minghao understands to a certain extent why Hansol says it. They seem to revere them as gods even though they are human just like everyone else. Hansol hates particularly how the media treats Seungkwan, how they call him the weaker ring of the chain just because he has no powers, Minghao gets peeved about it too, they fail to comprehend that Seungkwan is a powerful ally, that they could not be where they are without him. Seungkwan doesn’t seem to fully be upset about it, he just shakes it off and says that it’s normal, jealous people will be jealous, but Hansol knows him better, and Mingaho can guess that even if it doesn’t hurt too much, it still instills something in Seungkwan’s mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not a sense of inferiority, the man is too full of himself to let that happen, but it seems to make him wonder sometimes what it would be to be like them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And of course, that leads to problems, like for example a younger version of Hansol walking around the tower and flirting with Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He also gets why Hansol adores his friend so much, Seungkwan is a generous person with whoever is in his life, and even outside of it, he helps whoever asks for it. Seungkwan may not have the powers to be defined as a hero, but he is one in his own right. It’s just sad that many people fail to see that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol passes a hand on his hair, holds his cup and blows on the hot liquid. “... I have been thinking about friendship”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minghao nods, he is no stranger to conversations where they land on abstract themes, but he has the hunch that the real reason behind Hansol’s thinking is very concrete. “Mh I see… What is your conclusion?” He sips on his tea, careful not to burn himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol sighs “That I am an idiot” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minghao snorts, it’s a light thing, it’s so soft it gets drowned by the music playing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How come?” He asks anyway, since Hansol’s  eyes are still far away, as if he is not seeing the whole thing yet. There’s silence for a minute or so, Minghao is patient, he waits for Hnasol to draw his own conclusions before answering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I lost any chance the second he came in, didn’t I?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ah there it is, the centre of the problem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minghao considers his words too, he tries to be neutral while also trying to be honest. “I don’t think you did, Seungkwan is a rich boy, he knows how to be greedy if he wants to”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol looks confused for a second at what Minghao might be implying, but it is pretty simple, really. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he continues “He may be dating Vernon right now, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows </span>
  </em>
  <span>he is not you. He is still hoping that you look his way the way you always have done, because he clearly is blind, since he has not noticed how much you adore him” Minghao smiles at that, Hansol is not one to blush, he barely ever feels embarrassed, but he does now, dips his head down, and smiles himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t worry too much, Vernon has never stated of wanting to get in your way, and I am sure he would not even complain if you wanted to insert yourself in there”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol snorts “How do you know that?”</span>
</p><p><span>“He is you, and you wouldn’t share Seungkwan with anyone,</span> <span>but yourself” Minghao relaxes further on the sofa, the leather of it caresses the skin of his neck. Hansol nods, as if he finally gets it, as if he has finally made up his mind.</span></p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you already knew this though…?” Minghao continues.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The day we trained he… kind of implied something of the sort… I thought he meant something else entirely to be honest, but I see now what he meant…” Hansol answers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For now things seem to be resolved in Hansol’s mind, what he will do with this information, Minghao doesn’t fully know yet, but he hopes for the best as they shift the conversation in safer waters.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He trusts Hansol to figure things out by himself after this, like he has always done.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan sighs, the drink in his hand is getting warmer by the second, and he knows that he shouldn’t let the thing got to waste, but he truly is bored to have to interact with people that don’t give a flying fuck about him. Mingyu has disappeared somewhere, probably the bathroom, and the rest of the team is scattered everywhere. He can see Hansol’s black hair peek from a group of people that seem to always materialize around him every time they are in events like that, Vernon seems to be having the same kind of treatment, Seungcheol by his side, preventing him from escaping. They need the good rep, especially since everyone is super curious about Vernon, and where he came from. They fabricated some kind of general backstory that is obviously not “Seungkwan spoofed him away from his own timeline”, and so far it has been working fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luckily for himself, he is done interacting with people, they sometimes come to him, but since this is more of an event for the heroes, Seungkwan is pretty much done talking to people already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Someone pats his shoulder and he is sure for a second he has just jinxed his precarious moment of peace, but as soon he turns around, he is met with Mingyu’s face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m back!” his voice is chirpy, and not tired at all, Seungkwan sighs again, and drinks from his lukewarm whiskey. “Welcome back, I’m bored” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, aren’t you happy you came with me, then?” Mingyu asks, shaking Seungkwan from where his hand is still anchored on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what do you plan, oh king of parties?” Seungkwan snorts, drinks some more, and then puts the glass down, not liking at all the taste of it. He leaves it on the counter of the bar, while Mingyu thinks of something that would entertain Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s dance” He offers, pulling Seungkwan away, not even waiting for an answer, as he positions the both of them in the centre of the ballroom. There are a few couples dancing there, and the music is soft, a woman is singing sweetly while the pianist leads the melody. It’s not the best, to dance in, but there could be worse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu puts his hand on his waist, and Seungkwan follows his lead, swaying slowly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is this your version of entertainment? Dancing like an old couple while people talk around us?” Seungkwan asks, stepping lightly on Mingyu’s foot, Mingyu laughs lightly, leads Seungkwan into a turn, and then keeps swaying them both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh come on, the music is nice” He answers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The friendly banter that is exchanged between them is nothing new, Seungkwan had met him when he was studying in Japan, both of them rich and bored and young. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It is actually very funny how they met, Seungkwan was lost and drunk in a party deep in a nightclub in Shinjuku, his friends at the time were all over the place and Seungkwan was getting pretty desperate. Introduce Mingyu, tall, handsome and sweet Mingyu, who recognized Seungkwan and led him away from the hands of a dude that was being a little bit too chummy with him, and sweet Mingyu that drove Seungkwan and his friends back to their apartments.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amazing Mingyu who showed up the next day in his classroom to give Seungkwan his phone back, because it fell in his car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Seungkwan never really left Mingyu’s side, now, it seems to be the other way around, which is ironic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure…” Seungkwan huffs, he is sure there will be photos of them dancing in social media, maybe even theorizing a relationship between them. Nothing new, really, Mingyu and him tend to ignore it and laugh it off, because it is a pretty absurd idea to be dating Mingyu out of all people. Not when Jihoon is literally staring daggers at them from over the room. He can literally feel his stare burning the back of his neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I feel like my neck is about to combust,” Seungkwan says, Mingyu getting immediately what he means. “Yeah, well, you’re not alone…” Mingyu chuckles, nodding his head towards his left. Seungkwan doesn’t really have to look where he was softly pointed at, he knows who he is talking about. Seungcheol must have a veeeery hard time stopping Vernon from coming over every few minutes, and Seungkwan is quite surprised that Vernon has been behaving regardless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan laughs, “Should we stop?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu thinks about it for a second “Nah, we’re doing nothing wrong. Also Jihoon should step up his game and try to talk more to me, I can’t believe I have been flirting with him for months and yet nothing comes out of it”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan  at that “Why don’t YOU try to ask for his phone number?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu blinks, as if he just remembered that he can do that too “Well…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My god, you spoiled rich boy...” Seungkwan rolls his eyes, just as the music stops, and everyone claps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up, you are a spoiled rich boy too,” Mingyu whispers in his ear, as they both clap too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan sneers back at him “Yeah, but at least I am a bit aware”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A photographer stops them before they can move from where they are, asking for a few photos, and they pose, both adjusting their suits and standing elegantly still.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as they turn around, they are met with a black mask and a gentle smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol is looking at them gently, smiling at Mingyu, and stopping them from moving away from the spot they are in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Byeol, </span>
  </em>
  <span>hi” Mingyu uses the cutests little pet name because he cannot stand Hansol’s superhero name, and Hansol lets him, because why not. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan smiles, because Hansol is looking at him, not truly registering Mingyu’s presence until he addresses Hansol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mingyu, hi, how is your night going?” Hansol is gentle mannered, has been taught to be like that for the general public, but he has a dark tone of voice that cannot be hidden, not even by the gentlest of stares. It is this dichotomy that makes Seungkwan sigh, because he knows some people might call him two-faced, even though they don’t know him, they don’t know how much gentler and social and jovial Hansol can be, how quiet he gets when is thinking about something, how he has the biggest of smiles when he finds something very funny. All they see is a costume and mask, and that’s all it matters to them to judge him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s unnerving.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It's going great! Did you know that General Cheong was looking for you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did, I talked to him already, seems like he wants to push a very worrying amount of alcohol my way and try to convince me to join the army again” They both laugh, at the absurdity of it all. Seungkwan is transfixed in looking at how his eyes crinkle when he laughs, at how his smile widens and becomes more genuine as soon as he is around people he knows he can trust, and again Seungkwan finds himself looking at Hansol. He doesn’t notice Hansol is looking back until Mingyu clears his throat, in between them staring at each other's eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I actually forgot! I have a very pissed journalist I have to woo into give me his phone number”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If he’s a journalist and you are a billionaire, I don’t think he will need much woo-ing at all for that” Hansol answers, poking fun at Mingyu’s choice of words. Seungkwan laughs, it’s a small thing, but Hansol smiles back at him, as Mingyu waves them goodbye, walking in the direction of Jihoon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then they’re alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well not fully, there are still people around them, but it doesn’t seem to register at all, not when the air around them stills and they still are looking at the other as if there is something unsaid between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan is an impatient person by nature, unlike Hansol, he cannot wait, his mind is alert and fixates on things, once one problem is gone he goes to the other, fast. He talks a lot, he makes people laugh, and sometimes he likes being at the centre of the attention, but Hansol is completely everything but.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thinks and thinks and thinks, until he sets his mind on one solution, for that he takes his time, he is patient, slow, and calculative in his methods. It all reflects in how they stand beside each other  right that moment, how Seungkwan jitters, fixes his suit, licks his lips, nervous and ready to move, how Hansol is perfectly still looking and looking and looking at Seungkwan, at every single centimetre of his being. One would say he is staring into his soul, and Seungkwan doesn’t know, what would Hansol find there, if he would see how much Seungkwan cares for him, how much he wants him, how much Seungkwan loves him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go outside?” Seungkwan says, because he is scared that Hansol can see him crumble underneath his stare, Hansol looks around them, maybe making sure no one is paying them much attention, and then nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walk out silently, in the outside area of the party, it’s slightly windy, the tablecloths flutter, and Seungkwan’s perfectly coiffed hair gets ruffled up a bit. But it’s a nice change, because Hansol’s dark hair flies and fluffs up, and they both laugh at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is probably a bad idea,” Seungkwan giggles, pulls one hand up to ruffle Hansol’s hair. Hansol instinctively lets him do it, leans into his touch, and Seungkwan brushes his hair between his fingers. It doesn’t help much, it actually makes things worse, and when Seungkwan laughs, Hansol does too. Hansol tries to brush Seungkwan’s hair too, and now they look just ridiculous, with the hands of both of them in each other's hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Seungkwan gasps, after a few seconds of them laughing silently in the wind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s far too windy, up there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be.” Hansol answers, moves his hands from his hair to his cheeks, cradles his face there warming up Seungkwan’s face with his hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In another time Seungkwan would have complained about the make up, about how he should be careful. But now, there is something there, something is being held up and it’s far too fragile for Seungkwan to say the wrong thing and break it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Hansol parrots, behind the mask, his eyes are soft, brown eyes framed by long lashes, Seungkwan could get lost in that, in how they shine in the lights of the party at their back, how they reflect Seungkwan’s face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It takes him a few seconds to register what Hansol said. “Wait, what? Why are you sorry?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan frowns, pouts even, Hansol is still holding his face and he steps slightly closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… Have been blind, for quite some time I have been… aloof, and cold to you...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that can’t be true, cold and aloof? When? Cold Hansol would not care for Seungkwan, would not push him away from his workshop, would not prepare him breakfast, would not sleep with him in nights where everything seems to be pointless and heavy and too much to handle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have been childish even…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan is lost, he doesn’t understand what Hansol is saying, childish? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then it dawns on him, how Hansol has been slowly drifting apart from Seungkwan in the past days. Seungkwan was waiting for Vernon to go back to his timeline to talk about it, because of course, Seungkwan made it weird. He is sure Hansol has been weirded out by his decisions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan shakes his head, ready to answer that it’s his fault, that Hansol doesn’t need to be sorry for anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol pushes both of them away from the windows, in a small corner where the lights from the inside don’t filter through, it gives them more privacy, a little pocket of silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I understand…” Seungkwan says, his face is showing how confused he is right that moment, and Hansol feels defeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How many times has he shown Seungkwan how much adores him and yet… It never feels enough, not for Seungkwan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me show you?” Hansol whispers, his hands are still holding Seungkwan’s head, cradling his pretty face between his fingers. Seungkwan nods, and Hansol slowly moves their faces closer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan has never thought about how much difference in height they have, it never truly sinks in until right that moment, when he has tilt his head upwards, and close his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first thing he feels are his lips, and then Hansol’s eyelashes fluttering against his cheekbones. It’s supposed to be a light kiss, a small one. And it feels like Seungkwan has been waiting for an eternity for this, he melts into it, grasps Hansol’s broad shoulders.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There should be something in the back of his mind screaming at him to stop before they get caught, but it’s not there, and Seungkwan doesn’t care either way. Not now, not when he can feel Hansol’s lips are on his, not when he finally gets to have this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> It develops as the seconds pass, as Hansol grasps Seungkwan’s waist and he gasps. Seungkwan could be kissing and kissing Hansol until his lips turn red and raw, but they have to eventually stop, before someone walks in on them and they cause a big scandal, he remembers this because Hansol is the one to stop first.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Regaining his breath, Seungkwan huffs, laughs even, because that just didn’t happen, he didn’t just kiss Hansol, right? He must be going insane.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But by the way Hansol is looking at him, it definitely seems to tell him otherwise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before they can actually continue someone walks out, him and Hansol get a few steps of distance between them automatically.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah I’m sorry,” Luckily, it’s just Seokmin. “Uh, Seungkwan-ah, General Cheong is looking for you, he sent me to look out for you, because clearly he cannot do it himself,” Seokmin rolls his eyes, huffing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan coffs, straightens himself as best as he can, and then asks Seokmin to lead the way, before leaving he looks one more time at Hansol. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They lock eyes again, and then smile at each other, before waving and going their separate ways for the night. They have more to talk about, but for now, they keep going, they entertain different people, as always, and try their best not to look for the other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somehow they manage to fail to do that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon intercepts him when he’s moving to his car, well, limo, whatever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walks alongside him til the elevator and some more in the subterranean parking lot, before he finally caves in and holds his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan is not drunk </span>
  <em>
    <span>yet</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but he is feeling kind of daring that night, he is feeling some sort of way, and he is happy that Vernon finally managed to get to him, so he pulls Vernon aside and kisses him. No one is in there besides them, and when Vernon pushes him against the side of a car, the sound echoes in the large space. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Missed you,” Vernon mutters against his smiling lips, before going back to deliciously devour him. Seungkwan hums, wraps his arms and legs around Vernon, as the supe grinds his groin against him and holds him up as he weighs nothing. He probably does, considering his superpowers and everything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon tastes of gin with a sweet, kind of herbal aftertaste, Seungkwan doesn’t dislike it, drinks from the taste of it, chases it with his tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon groans, as the friction increases, as Seungkwan starts moaning more and more against his mouth, there’s some build-up there, Seungkwan can feel himself right on the edge of it, letting Vernon choose if he wants to let him fall or make him stay. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” Seungkwan says out loud, it comes out as a weak moan, a sweet little thing that Vernon eats right out of his tongue. The friction between their dicks is good, but it’s not enough for them to get any enduring pleasure from it. Vernon knows that, teases Seungkwan, dangling the promise of bliss right in front of his eyes, but not giving it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry?” Seungkwan whispers, because this feels like a punishment, some sort of torture that Vernon is imposing on him because of something he did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mh? What for?” He asks into the skin of his neck, gently bites into the delicate skin there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mh…” Seungkwan thinks about it, for a few seconds, as Vernon keeps teasing him, his teeth graze the skin on his jaw, by applying some more pressure to the bite, as he gets more impatient.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before he can actually answer, the elevator that leads to the parking lot area dings, and for how much Seungkwan wants to ignore and continue what they have going on right there, he also is very aware that they can’t get caught like this by anyone. It could spark a scandal and Seungkwan can already feel the headache of it all forming in the front of his head. Vernon seems to be aware of that too, as he immediately lets Seungkwan down from his embrace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they walk back to Seungkwan’s car, Vernon holds his hand still, refusing to let go, whether the other people can see that or not. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, it’s you guys,” Minghao’s voice comes to their ears, and makes both of them turn around. Minghao is not alone, Hansol is with him, both of them looking back as if they already figured out what was happening there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh hi, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hyungs</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Vernon says, his voice is calm, not even one bit nervous about how Hansol is literally staring at them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, we were going to the car…” Seungkwan justifies, because it does feel like he has to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were too, Minghao offered to give me a ride on his motorcycle.” Hansol continues, the presence of a helmet on his hands now clear to Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The thing is… This is the first time they would come back home by themselves. As said before, Seungkwan and Hansol have this thing, after nights like these, where they spend the night together. It would be the first time in five years that they would not do it… And Seungkwan feels guilty somehow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I can give you a ride, the limo is pretty big itself…” Seungkwan sputters. It’s sudden, but Vernon doesn’t seem to be against his proposal and Minghao is suddenly smiling widely. The only one seemingly against that idea is Hansol himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah no, that’s ok, I don’t want to-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! I actually forgot Hansol-ah, I think I have to run some errands before going back to the tower,” Minghao interrupts, puts a hand on his shoulder, he steals the helmet fromHansol’s hands</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry but I have to run, it’s so late already!” He checks the watch on his wrist, before literally running away from them, leaving Hansol alone with Seungkwan and Vernon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess you’re coming with us?” Vernon asks, already walking back to the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol has clearly no other option now, so he just follows in silence. Seungkwan walks alongside him, trying to read his mood. He doesn’t seem angry, just thoughtful, like something is in his mind currently, as if he is weighing options in his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ok?” Seungkwan bumps his shoulder against Hansol’s, that seems to move him away from his mind, as he wraps an arm around Seungkwan's shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m fine” Hansol smiles again, and all is well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The three of them are now sitting in the back of the car. Seungkwan doesn’t usually like limos, they are bulky, unnecessarily long and stupid looking, but they are also very spacious, and have comfy seatings, so for tonight, he lets go of his prejudice for them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan sprawls himself on the seat, in between Hansol and Vernon, it’s not the first time for him to be between them, but this time it feels different, especially because Vernon has a hand on his thigh, caressing it with his thumb, and Hansol has his arm around Seungkwan’s shoulders. They are far closer than usual, that is for sure.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There is something there, and as Seungkwan feels both of them gravitate closer and closer to him, he feels like he should say something.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Somebody should say something, right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is this weird?” He vomits out, destroying the silence between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon hums, Hansol simply listens.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it weird to you?” Hansol asks in the end.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Should it feel weird? He doesn’t really know, right now it doesn’t, he doubts it will ever feel weird, because this is still the person he fell in love with, </span>
  <em>
    <span>twice</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Technically they are two different people but fundamentally they are the same. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol with his dark hair and gentle smile and Vernon with his gray hair and lively eyes. He does love both of them, he might sound crazy, but he does.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really, no… But is it to you?” He flips the question around, because, sure, Seungkwan can surrender himself to this, whatever this silent proposal is, but it could be weird for them to share Seungkwan with well… themselves.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon looks up at Hansol, Hansol looks at Vernon, in the middle of them both Seungkwan sees how they come to the same conclusion in the matter of seconds.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No” they answer in unison. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon strengthens his hold on Seungkwan’s thigh, as Hansol moves his lips closer to Seungkwan’s ear, his lips graze over the moles right beside his ear, it’s a delicate thing, but just the touch alone makes Seungkwan’s skin jump, makes him sigh to the simplest of touches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon is bolder in what he wants to do, his hand moving from his thigh upward, until his fingers trace his semi-erection through his pants, he teases there, knows how much Seungkwan adores and hates it at the same time. Seungkwan gasps, his hands hold for dear life both Hansol’s jacket and Vernon’s, and something about that gesture reminds Seungkwan of what Jeonghan told him a day prior.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You are the greediest person I know, Seungkwan-ah.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He is, god, he is. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The second time he kisses Hansol it’s so starkly different from the first. This time there is unhurried hunger in what Hansol is offering to him, the kiss is tongue and lips and just a hint of teeth, and Seungkwan drinks it up like the sweetest of fruits. Hansol tastes of whiskey, maybe scotch, a dark tone that truly he never thought he would see Hansol drink. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan hums, as Hansol’s hand joins Vernon’s on his crotch, it’s fast, before his hand is reaching for Seungkwan’s shirt, rucking it up and away from where it was tucked in his pants. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His hand touches the soft skin of his belly, and Seungkwan whines sweetly, at how Hansol’s hand feels as it pushes upwards toward his chest. It’s warm, Seungkwan has never thought about how his hands are always so warm, but he does think about it now, the thought of it alone will probably haunt him for the rest of the week.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both him and Hansol have to regain their breaths, but as soon as Seungkwan’s lips are away from Hansol’s, Vernon comes in, kissing Seungkwan as if his life depends on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s undeniable how differently they kiss too, how Vernon’s kisses are all teeth and hurried fervor, and Hansol is everything but. He still can feel Hansol’s hand traveling around his torso, his breath light on the skin of his cheek, how close he is, looking at him and Vernon kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s like Vernon and Hansol have one shared mind, because if one is distracting Seungkwan in a way, the other is gently manhandling him into a new position. Hansol pulls Seungkwan towards himself, resting his back against Hansol’s chest, as Vernon pushes closer to both of them, sitting between his legs. That’s all he can handle before he has to regain his breath, he puts his head against Hansol’s shoulder as he pants, overworked over nothing but a few kisses and touches. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His heart is beating so fast he is so sure they can hear it. But it really doesn’t matter, not now, not when Vernon is pulling at his belt buckle and Hansol is unbuttoning his shirt, exposing his skin to the air conditioned chill of the car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This…” Seungkwan hisses, he tries to say something as they listen carefully “I am going to die.” He is being dramatic, for sure, and Hansol and Vernon just shake their heads, because they know how dramatic he can only get.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol kisses the side of his head, sweetly, as Vernon pulls down his pants, underwear included. “You won’t.” Hansol whispers into his hair, and god Seungkwan is going to die for real.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We got you.” Vernon continues, winking up at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s nothing he hasn’t experienced before, Vernon touching him in ways that can only make Seungkwan mewl, but this is new, Hansol’s warmth spreading through his back is new, Hansol’s mouth on his neck is new too, all he can do while Vernon gives him a handjob is to moan, and pray the lords that the driver doesn’t hear much of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He is just getting worked up again when the car comes to a stop, Hansol is kissing him again, slowly and sweetly as ever.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>A tap on the window of the car is all Seungkwan has to hear for him to know that they have arrived, and he hates that this is the second time he has been interrupted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon lightly laughs at how he pouts, and Hansol does the same, finding his frustration hilarious.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just like they messed him up, they put him back together, closing his shirt and pulling his pants up as if he is a big baby. Seungkwan huffs a second time, before he gets kissed in quick succession by both Hansol and Vernon, before Vernon opens the door and gets outside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan tips the driver a hefty extra, for the trouble, thanking him for his time and then getting out to Vernon, Hansol being the last one to get out thanks the driver too, a wide smile that makes the driver scowl go away completely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan wonders how he does it, to be so charming that everyone seems to get in a good mood whenever Hansol smiles their way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It has always been like that too, Seungkwan has been loud and annoying and over the top and funny, but Hansol has always been centered and quiet, not shy, and a little goofy, and people get charmed so easily by him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s so easy to love him.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>His AI greets them when they step into the elevator, and then charged silence gets in between them again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s not weird silence, at least that, Seungkwan is just considering where to go, whose floor should he tell his AI to bring them to? But then again he thinks too much and by the time he has decided, Hansol has already chosen for him, nothing new, he always does that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon steps closer to Seungkwan again, never too shy, always so open to show what he feels, always the one that is ok with saying what he wants.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol is another set of options there, he thinks about what to do, always, he plans before acting and then he acts on a stone-set convintion. It does surprise him that he steps closer too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Either he has thought about this for a long time or he is acting on pure impulse, Seungkwan is not sure which is it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just so we are clear, are you guys </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure </span>
  </em>
  <span>about this?” Seungkwan asks, his voice echoes in the enclosed space of the metal box.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon holds his waist, rests his chin on Seungkwan’s shoulder “I am. I have nothing to hide from myself.” he says into his clothes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol does something completely different, he takes the extra step he needs to be completely in Seungkwan’s space and then kisses him again. Everytime they kiss it feels so different, how does Hansol manage to convey so clearly what he feels with just the way he puts his lips over Seungkwan’s? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am very sure of this.” He says into the space between their lips. It’s so sincere it makes Seungkwan’s stomach flip, makes his heart miss a beat, and oh god, he is truly in love with him. He feels Vernon’s hand lightly hold his waist, and a smile form on his lips, he is not threatened at all by this interaction, and that calms Seungkwan a bit more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The elevator stops, not at Seungkwan’s floor, and when the doors open, Joshua is on the other side holding a cup of water, right beside him Jeonghan is there. He never stays in the tower and the night he actually does he gets go see this. Fuck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It takes him nothing to put two and two together, seeing both Vernon and Hansol draped around him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Seungkwan-ah.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He says in the most annoying way possible, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>he knows </span>
  </em>
  <span>and Seungkwan </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows </span>
  </em>
  <span>too, and fucking Joshua knows, and Jeonghan is going to be so fucking annoying for the rest of the week.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up! Close the doors!” Seungkwan answers, in between Hansol and Vernon, who by the way have no right to look that smug in front of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jeonghan, </span>
  </em>
  <span>with Vernon simply smirking and Hansol smiling dangerously, not even bothering to completely turn around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The doors close and that is all Jeonghan is ever going to see from that interaction, but Seungkwan is so fucking sure he is going to be pestered by his assistant for so many days to come.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s quiet when they get to his room, the bed is not done, the bedsheets are undone and Seungkwan is quite sure it is because of Vernon, since he is the one that wakes up later usually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s domestic, it’s so domestic that it makes Seungkwan cringe a little. He surely did not expect to have visitors that night, at least, not a </span>
  <em>
    <span>second </span>
  </em>
  <span>one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol doesn’t seem to mind, by how he immediately plants himself behind his back and kisses his neck. His hands travel around, from his ass to his chest, as slow movement that leaves Seungkwan’s skin on fire whenever he gets touched, even through his clothes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon is quiet, more quiet than usual, concentrating on unbuttoning his shirt again, painfully slow. This is torture, Seungkwan thinks, as Vernon kisses him breathless again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time his chest is exposed, Seungkwan is panting again, sandwiched between two solid bodies, grinding his erection against Vernon’s and managing to grind his ass against Hansol’s erection in the meanwhile. Excitement simmers underneath his skin as Seungkwan feels both of them grind back, pressed up against him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the heat of it all Seungkwan does what he is most familiar with, so he starts undressing Vernon, his fingers undoing the tie and then pushing the jacket off hia shoulders, both pieces of clothing join his shirt on the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol murmurs something behind them, and Seungkwan is yet again reminded of what they are about to do. He pushes the flustered feeling down, turns around to face Hansol, flushed cheeks and hungry gaze, it makes Seungkwan feel so many things, makes his heart beat faster as he undoes Hansol’s carefully styled look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tie, jacket and shirt, all fall on the floor, Vernon bites in the skin of his neck, marking the supple skin there, pulls him back towards the bed and Hansol follows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t expect Hansol to push him down, nor seeing both Vernon and Hansol look down at him hungrily from the side of the bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do we do this?” Seungkwan asks, because even though he knows the dynamics of what they are about to do, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t lack practice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It has been years, for sure.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mattress dips where Hansol’s knees touch and press down his weight on it, Vernon sits down beside Seungkwan, looks over them hawkishly, attentive to every interaction between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How would you like it?” Hansol asks, it’s soft, he asks as if he truly does care, and Seungkwan has no doubt in his mind that that is indeed true.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He bites his lip, stifling a smile that is forming on his lips, he likes having this, having control to decide what they get to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He has two ideas in his mind, he quickly weighs them both there, chooses carefully what to do. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want you to fuck me, Hansol, and I want Vernon to fuck my mouth while you do that… That’s what I want to do”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Vernon and Hansol look surprised by his words, like they suddenly forgot how bold Seungkwan can truly be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But it’s a moment, it comes and goes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It can be arranged,” Vernon whispers, a smile on his lips as he trails his fingers on Seungkwan’s back, it su subtle it makes Seungkwan shiver a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you ok with that arrangement?” Hansol asks Vernon, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes, by any means. You haven’t had him yet.” Vernon smiles back, his fingers grasp the back of Seungkwan’s neck, play with the skin there, make Seungkwan relax a little bit more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It shows how much he has been studying Seungkwan, because he does love that, makes Seungkwan lean on Vernon a bit, a little bit content of the little massage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol observes for a bit, studies that detail too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should get undressed.” Seungkwan murmurs, he fiddles with Vernon’s belt buckle and reaches for Hansol’s too, pulling him closer by it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s easier now, it’s less awkward when they leave their clothes and shoes on the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol doesn’t look much different from Vernon, Seungkwan can see where they have moles in similar places, but Hansol is slightly bigger, his shoulders look more built, his arms just a tad more muscular.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s probably because they are five years apart Seungkwam concludes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan sits better on bed, at the center of it, impatient, jittery, while Vernon proceeds to get the lube and Hansol climbs back on the bed right in front of Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stare for a few seconds, this is going to be… a very peculiar first time for them, but what is new really. They have experienced otherworldly stuff on the daily for the past five years. This is nothing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This is actually the best thing that could happen to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan smiles at that, and Hansol does the same, and then they kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Again, it’s different. It goes from sweet and slow, to heated and fast, in a matter of seconds, Seungkwan finally can touch Hansol’s skin, his chest, his shoulders, he can feel the warmth emanating from every inch of his body, they touch chests, as Seungkwan slowly claims more and more of Hansol’s mouth he can feel Hansol’s hand grasp his waist.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon climbs back behind Seungkwan, prods at his hole with lubed fingers, and Seungkwan moves his ass towards them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moans into Hansol’s mouth when two fingers get inside him, he can see Hansol’s curiosity get the best of him, and look over Seungkwan’s shoulder, towards a grinning Vernon, who is slowly stretching Seungkwan’s hole. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan silently asks for one more kiss, and Hansol concedes, gladly so, letting Seungkwan slide his tongue inside his mouth and dominate his mouth, letting him lead the kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon slowly works Seungkwan, Hansol can see his cheeks redden ever so slightly, as Vernon pushes and pushes inside of Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Care to help?” Vernon asks, and Hansol helps, slides one lubed finger inside beside Vernon’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan moans at that, high pitched and beatifully worked up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon shoves his fingers particularly deep and Seungkwan wails, all of it right in front of Hansol’s face, all for him to see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, I’m ready… Please” Seungkwan moans out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“On your hands and knees, Boo.” Hansol says, and god that is the first time Seungkwan has ever heard Hansol say his nickname like that, deep and hungry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan does as requested, bites his lip in anticipation, as both Hansol and Vernon position themselves. Seungkwan looks one last time behind his shoulder, as Hansol’s holding the base of his dick and aligning himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan moans once more when he feels Hansol’s girth push in, slowly breaching him open, he gasps and that is when Vernon decides to shove his own dick in his mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan feels breached open, while both men push inside him until both reach their own limits. Hansol’s hands grasp Seungkwan’s hips, as he allows Seungkwan’s body to get used to him, and if Seungkwan could use his mouth to talk he would already be talking a mile per hour. There are so many things that fly in his mind, how incredible it feels, how lucky he feels.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon grasps his hair, but that is all he does, as he lets Seungkwan move on his own, let’s him gag and choke on his length. Seungkwan swallows around Vernon’s cock, goes further until his lips are against the curls at the base of it. He blinks out a few tears, but stubbornly keeps going, as Hansol starts moving too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Together they find a rhythm that more or less works for them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol whispers a “goddamn” in the midst of it, to which Vernon answers with “I know right? He is so tight”, Hansol hums in agreement, and Vernon laughs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan chokes at that, pulls out a little and coughs. Vernon holds his jaw there, letting Seungkwan regain his breath for as much as he can, while Hansol keeps pounding him faster and faster. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Resolution fuels Seungkwan as he sees Vernon’s shit eating grin, content at what just transpired between him and Hansol. So Seungkwan makes it his own job to wipe it away from his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sucks again, lets Vernon fuck his mouth and throat as much as he wants, as he claims over and over his mouth. It’s so much that Seungkwan is literally crying on it, it’s all too much, the way Hansol pushes are more and more erratic and Vernon is pulling on his hair the more he is close to come. He feels so raw, full even, used, a lot, and god he loves that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hansol suddenly pumps Seungkwan’s dick and he is gone, he wails around the dick around his mouth and comes all over the bedsheets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck” Hansol moans behind him, surprised at how much Seungkwan has clenched down around his dick. Vernon’s breath becomes laboured, fucks into Seungkwan’s mouth, faster and faster, as is Hansol, they fuck into him as deep and as fast as they can until they both come, moaning and filling him on both ends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungkwan doesn’t even have the strength to hold himself up when they both pull out, he drops on his limbs and on his come and just lies there, letting the waves of pleasure wash over him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon and Hansol are no different, they lie down beside him, one on each side, and the three of them regain their breath for a bit. Seunkwan is yet again sandwiched between them. Hansol kisses Seungkwan’s cheek, and Vernon holds him a little bit tighter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For a long time their pants are the only thing that can be heard in the room. Seungkwan opens his eyes finally and he can see the city lights slightly wash over their bodies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Man, he is tired. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He is also the happiest man in the fucking world right now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Also the dirtiest, jesus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to clean up,” he croaks out, the strain applied to his throat now more than evident. It’s a good reminder, he thinks, as he clears his throat a little bit, just like the marks Hansol’s left on his skin, were his hands held skin andgave hima little bruise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He moves out of Vernon’s and Hansol’s embrace and stumbles down on the floor, making both of them jump up in unison, worried.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Great.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They have breakfast (brunch) the next morning, and it’s when Vernon has his hand on Seungkwan’s thigh while chewing on his food and when Hansol refills Seungkwan’s cup that it dawns on him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking at Vernon, who is lazily gazing in front of him and at Hansol reading his messages, he understands how much he truly cares about them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I love you guys,” Seungkwan says, because it feels like he has to say it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon stops chewing, and looks back at Seungkwan, and Hansol does the same, he puts down his phone and stares in Seungkwan’s direction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He feels scrutinized, so he does what he can do best. He word vomits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He starts talking about how he likes when Hansol does little things that are different ways of saying that he cares about Seungkwan, and that he adores how Vernon never truly seems to be able to keep his hands away from Seungkwan, how they both show affection in gestures that no one else seems to get besides Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stops just because both Hansol and Vernon are laughing their asses off at how flustered Seungkwan looks, saying this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We know,” Hansol says back, smiling warmly and holding Seungkwan’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernon nods, he is mirroring Hansol’s smile, they both look fond and incredibly happy about Seungkwan’s words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They don’t say it back, but Seungkwan knows, and sees how they say “I love you too” in their own wordless ways. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Until they do say it back with their own words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hansol says it when they are going back to the tower, he is sweaty and his breath is laboured and he has a scratch right underneath his cheekbone, they are holding hands while sitting right beside the other. “I do love you Seungkwan'' he whispers, he looks serious, and probably is still thinking about life and death and how close to danger his job is. So he says it because he will never know if he will get the occasion to confess it to Seungkwan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon says it when Seungkwan is working in his lab, fiddling with a wrench while Seungkwan is going with only two hours of sleep and is slightly going insane with how his current problem is not getting resolved at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vernon listens patiently while Seungkwan talks in frustration, pushes him to the beat down sofa he has down there and tells him to sleep on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whispers it on his skin when he goes for a kiss, a small “I love you” that feels like a blessing, and that makes Seungkwan go to sleep with a smile.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My <a href="https://twitter.com/paindepice_sv7?s=21">Twitter</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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